


Only in My Dreams - Fili

by Madkat89



Series: Only in My Dreams [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Female Bilbo Baggins, Filbo - Freeform, Fili's in love, Fili's viewpoint, Quest of Erebor, So is Bella, Sweetness, The usual hobbit cast, Tolkien, fem!Bilbo, happily ever after for the win, maybe a bit of angst, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:21:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22537684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madkat89/pseuds/Madkat89
Summary: Scenes from Only in My Dreams told from Fili's perspective
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Fíli
Series: Only in My Dreams [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621669
Comments: 21
Kudos: 116





	1. The Trouble with Trolls

**Author's Note:**

> It's super bowl today, however, I don't really care for either team or football all that much. So you guys get a chapter from Fili's point of view. Enjoy!

When Thorin told them to guard the ponies, Fili was relieved. He towed Kili away from camp as quickly as he could. Between the rain and lack of fires of late, tempers had been testy. It would be a relief to be away from everyone for a little while. With how eagerly Kili followed him, he knew that his brother felt the same way. However, once the ponies were correctly picketed, the guard duty was rather boring. There had been no signs of anything dangerous while they had been traveling, nothing to set their instincts on edge.

And it had been boring just riding through the rain day after day. He had worked hard all of his life, not the forced inactivity of this trek. Kili kept fidgeting, unable to sit still as well. Feeling mischievous, Fili pounced on him, intent on wrestling him to the ground. They tussled for several minutes, trading the advantage back and forth, before Fili finally managed to pen Kili long enough to force him to yield.

The tussle had been enough to take the edge off his energy and he turned his attention back to what they were really supposed to be doing. He frowned when he realized that something was off. Hastily, he counted the ponies only to come up two short. He counted again and got the same result. He tried frantically to remember if they had properly picketed the ponies or not, although he was sure that they must have.

Picking up a small stick, he threw it at Kili while he looked around for the ponies. Already sulking from having lost, Kili griped, "What was that for?"

Keeping his voice low, Fili said, "Count the ponies, Kee."

Kili came over and crouched beside him, quickly counting the ponies. He swore when he realized that they were two short. They immediately tried to figure out if they had tied them correctly, to which Fili insisted that they had and Kili remembered double checking, neither of them wanting to draw Thorin's ill humor. They were in the middle of trying to figure out what could've gotten past them when someone cleared their throat behind them.

They whirled to face them, their hands reaching for their weapons. To their surprise, Bella was standing there, an innocent expression on her face as if she had not just intentionally scared them half to death. With a twinkle in her eye, she said cheerfully, "Dinner."

Wanting to get her out of there before she realized that something was wrong, Fili hastily took the bowl that she offered. She had been quiet and downcast the past few days, so he prayed that she would be eager to get back to the fire and warm food. However, it was not his lucky day as she asked curiously, "What were you two whispering about?"

Fili looked at Kili, silently ordering him not to say a word. Kili looked back at him, letting him see the panic in his eyes. Fili nearly groaned, Kili was terrible at keeping secrets and had always been caught by their uncle or amad when they were up to mischief. He urged him to stay strong and she would return to camp without letting their uncle know how they had messed up and there was still a chance that they might salvage the situation.

Kili broke under her firm stare and said quietly, not meeting her eyes, "We seem to have a bit of a problem."

Her expression shifted from curious to wary. He flinched slightly when she crossed her arms and asked coolly, "And just what might this problem be?"

Fili took a hasty bite of stew to keep from answering and Kili did the same. However, that didn't seem to deter her as she stared steadily at them. Once again, Kili broke down and Fili internally sighed. He loved his brother dearly, especially his cheerful openness, but he could not dissemble to save his life, especially to females. "Well, when we picketed the ponies, there were fourteen."

When neither of them offered anything more, she prompted, "And?"

Knowing that there was no way that she would leave the matter alone now, Fili mumbled, "Now there's only twelve."

She immediately spun away and started counting the ponies. When she turned back, her expression was more resigned than angry. "Are you sure that you picketed them right? Could they have just pulled themselves loose and wandered off?"

He shook his head and saw Kili doing the same from the corner of his eye, "No, they didn't wander off. One moment they were there and the next they were gone."

Exasperation dripped from her words as she propped her hands on her hips, "Well, they didn't just disappear into thin air."

He opened his mouth to explain when she abruptly shushed them. She turned to look at something and promptly fell on her rear. Before he could ask her what was wrong, a mountain troll appeared with two more of their ponies under it's arm. He dropped his bowl of stew and reached for his swords. In two strides the troll was gone and the ponies along with him.

Before he could offer to help her up, Bella jumped to her feet and whirled on them, anger sparking in her eyes as she hissed, "How in the world did you miss a TROLL walking off with the ponies?" She looked them over and shook her head. "Never mind. What are we going to do about this?"

Those words brought hope back to him. She wasn't going to run straight back and tell uncle about the mess that they had gotten themselves into, which was a good thing. However, she had absolutely no fighting experience, so if they went after the troll, they would have to worry about protecting her as well. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but this was a troll. Even with both him and Kili, it would be dicey, and they didn't know if there were any more in the area. What was a troll doing this far down anyway?

Before he could speak and say that they needed to go fetch the company, Kili's face lit up in a way that had always spelled trouble, even when they were dwarflings. "You're a burglar. You can just burgle them back."

Fili moved to smack him upside the head for his idiocy, but the hobbit lass beat him to it. Pinching Kili's ear, she dragged him down until they were eye to eye and demanded, "Are you mad? You want me to steal from trolls? Trolls that are big enough to carry ponies off as if they weigh nothing."

Fili was torn between laughter at the shock and pleading on Kili's face and wanting to rescue him from the irate lass. However, he didn't see a way to do it without bringing her wrath directly down on himself, not something that he wanted. Before he could figure out what to do, Kili begged, "Please, Mistress Boggins. Uncle didn't want to let me come along in the first place and if he finds out that I've lost the ponies, he'll send me back to Ered Luin faster than you can say quartz."

Fili rolled his eyes, Kili was exaggerating, but it seemed to calm down Mistress Baggins and she released his ear. She sighed, her expression screaming that she knew that this was a bad idea but unwilling to throw them to the wolves, or in this case, their uncle. "Fine, I'll take a look. But I'm not making any promises, do you hear me?"

Fili's instincts screamed at him that this was a bad idea, especially using a lass to get them out of trouble. They should be protecting her, not sending her into danger. They didn't even know how many trolls were out there, for pity's sake. He said, "Maybe we should just tell uncle after all. The company can get the ponies back together."

Kili said quickly, "Let her take a look first, what can it hurt?" Turning to Bella, he said earnestly, "If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a screech owl and once like a barn owl and we'll rescue you."

As she walked away, he glared at Kili and hissed, "I still don't like this."

Kili looked at him pleadingly, "Just let her take a quick look around, what could it hurt?"

Shoving down the urge to wallop Kili, he shook his head firmly, "No. We just sent a dam alone after we don't even know how many trolls. This was a mistake. You follow her and I'm going to fetch the company. I don't care if we get in trouble, that was a bad idea. Hurry."

The reality of the situation seeming to suddenly hit Kili and his eyes widened as he realized that this was much worse than trying to stay out of trouble. He nodded to Fili and took off after the hobbit while Fili turned and ran for the camp. He burst into the firelight, pulling to a stop when the dwarves jumped to their feet and drew their weapons. He blurted out, "Troll, Mistress Baggins and Kili are following it, it took ponies. Hurry."

Thorin shot him a look that told him they would be discussing this later but roared for them to grab their weapons. Fili sprinted back the way that he'd come, praying that he wasn't too late and that they were still both ok. He was displeased to find that neither was true. She was being held in the fist of one of the trolls and Kili had decided that it was a good idea to confront three, three!, trolls alone.

When the troll threw her at Kili, Fili almost rolled his eyes. What had his brother expected when he made that demand? He waited just long enough to make sure that Kili caught her before rushing out with the rest of them and engaging the trolls. One dwarf against three trolls was poor odds, but thirteen against three was much more to his liking. However, in his eagerness to defeat his foes, he forgot that he should've been watching out for the vulnerable one of their party.

His heart stopped when he realized that the trolls had recaptured Bella and he was glad when Thorin stopped Kili from running forward. It wouldn't do to give them another hostage or cause them to hurt the lass, her features twisted with pain. He threw down his swords, silently promising himself to throttle Kili if they made it through this alive.

He reluctantly allowed himself to be shoved into a nasty sack and tied up, trying to get a glimpse of the burglar and see if she was all right. She seemed to be pale and he couldn't decide how badly she was hurt. They had all been tossed into a pile, but he wasn't close enough to ask and all of the rest were too furious at being captured to bother asking her.

He wanted to reassure her that it would be all right, but he was in no position to make promises that he knew that he couldn't keep. It would be a miracle if they made it through the night, not that he would tell her that. She was already beating herself up for getting them captured, he could tell, he wouldn't add to her distress. Instead he fought to find a way to free himself from his bag. If he could just get himself and the others loose, then they might stand a chance.

So intent on this, he missed her struggling to her feet, although her voice drew his attention back to her. "That's not how you cook dwarf."

He wanted to yell at her, to tell her not to draw attention to herself, to ask her what in the world was she thinking. Instead, he bit his tongue as the troll asked her what she knew about about cooking dwarves. Praying that she could keep their attention on her long enough for him to escape undetected, he redoubled his efforts.

Her voice was careless, but he could see the strain on her face, "Oh lots. If you do it right, they're the most delicious meal you'll ever eat."

The rest of the company stared at her as if she had lost her mind. He wanted to kick them, she was obviously playing for time, but he didn't want to draw attention back to them. He breathed a sigh of relief when the troll asked her how to cook them. As long as the troll was curious, the chances of it eating her were less. And every moment that they were focused on her was an opportunity for him to escape.

He barely listened to the conversation, too busy working on his bonds. However, he tuned back in when all the dwarves started yelling. He smothered a grin at her lame excuse that they needed washed and was grateful when Thorin kicked someone to get them to shut up. But then they all had to go and shout about how much they needed washed.

However, the trolls patience with the ruckus was even less than his own and one of them headed towards the dwarves to eat them raw. Bella's scream wrenched at him and he stared in horror as one of the trolls loomed over her. 

The troll scowled and demanded, "Wot was that?"

She coughed but her voice was calm and level, surprising him, "Well, if you're not going to wash them, you should at least, um, at least, um, skin them first. It's not ideal but it's better than nothing."

The troll leered nastily at her and Fili could feel his temper rising. The troll said, "Well, I says we eats 'em raw."

Tharkun finally chose that moment to make his presence known, bringing his staff down on the rock and crying, "And I say that the dawn will take you all!"

Fili barely registered the trolls turning to stone, Bella having collapsed as soon as the wizard had broken the rock. Tharkun made his way down and quickly set about untying them. Fili muttered his thanks and quickly made his way over to where the hobbit lass was doing her best to shake herself to pieces now that the danger was over. She had been so calm that he hadn't truly realized how terrified she had been.

Helping her out of the nasty sack, he looked her over for injuries and asked quietly, "Are you all right?"

She somehow managed to dredge up a smile, surprising him, "A little shook up, but I'm ok. Is anyone else hurt?"

"Just bumps and bruises, nothing that won't heal." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We should've never."

Thorin called out for him that moment, distracting him from the apology that he was going to give her. However, he knew that if he lingered, Thorin would come over and they would both receive the rough edge of his tongue. She had been through more than enough today and didn't need that on top of everything else. He sighed and made his way over to Thorin, enduring the well deserved lecture as best he could. They were truly fortunate that things did not take a much worse turn than they did.

After lecturing him for several minutes, Thorin sent him to go fetch the packs that they had left behind in their mad scramble to save the burglar. Fili obeyed with alacrity, eager to get away from his uncle and how disappointed he was in them. Truthfully, Fili was disappointed in himself. This was a serious matter, this quest to reclaim their home, and he and Kili had been lucky to have been chosen to participate. Just because they were of the line of Durin didn't mean that they automatically got to go, look at Gimli left behind.

No, they shouldn't have been fooling around and just assuming that the area was safe because they hadn't seen any threats. And the danger that they had put Mistress Baggins in only made it worse. Fili knew that Thorin was not happy to have her along, having discussed the situation with him several times. But despite the hardships that she was clearly unaccustomed to, she hadn't complained in the slightest and had done everything she could to pull her share of the load. Sure, she took a lot longer to complete tasks, but that was only because of her unfamiliarity with them.

Also, she was kind hearted. Many women would've gone straight to Thorin and informed him how they had messed up, not heard them out. Especially after seeing the troll. She should've gone screaming in the other direction after that and she still might. Instead, she had gone about trying to help them fix their screw up. He and Kili owed her.

It only took a few minutes to pack up the camp with Ori keeping watch. Fili made sure to grab her pack. After being roughly manhandled by the nasty creatures and then shoved into those disgusting sacks that had contained only Mahal knew what, she would probably appreciate the chance for a change of clothes. It was the least that he could do for her.

Casting one more time around the burned out farmhouse, he was satisfied that they had gathered everything and gave the signal for them to head out. Leaving the others to bring along the ponies, he went ahead to give her her pack before planning on joining the others in the troll horde. 

Entering the clearing quietly, he didn't want to draw Thorin's wrath again if he was still there, Fili looked about for the hobbit lass. He froze when he saw her, his lungs suddenly refusing to work properly. She was sitting on a rock, her face tipped up towards the sun with her eyes closed, a small smile playing about her lips. While he watched, she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing her damp curls that shone golden in the sun, undoubtedly hoping that it would help the hair to dry better.

He sucked in a breath and it went down wrong, causing him to choke. The sound drew her from her reverie and dashed any chance of him slipping away without being noticed. She sighed and straightened, her innocent enjoyment of the sun hidden behind her customary reserve as she turned to face. Feeling his face burn at having shamelessly intruded on what was a private moment, he abruptly remembered why he came and shoved her pack towards her. "I thought you'd like your pack."

She stood slowly and studied him and it was all he could do not to squirm like a naughty dwarfling who'd been caught misbehaving. Confusing him entirely, she suddenly smiled brightly at him and took her pack, thanking him.

Feeling very awkward, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He cast about for something to say, but all that came out was, "Well, I'm just, going to check on the others."

Without waiting for her to reply, he turned and walked hurriedly away, not wanting to make any bigger fool of himself than he already had. He resisted the urge to look back and see if she was watching him or not. He should've walked away the moment he realized that she thought that she was alone and was taking a moment to compose herself. Still, he knew that it would be a long time before he forgot the lovely picture she had made sitting there quietly in the sun. A very long time.


	2. Escapes and new bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was going to be all logical and linear and tell the story from Fili's perspective in a way that made sense. But the plot bunnies are evil masterminds and totally hijacked that plan, so I've had to be adaptable and roll with it. Instead, I'm going to write the scenes as they come to me and post them so you're not waiting eons, but I'll title them the same as the chapters in Only in My Dreams so you can go read the corresponding scene.
> 
> So enjoy and I would say that the plot bunnies say hi but they're too busy, well, plotting.

Fili watched her sleep, wishing that he could do more for her. Stress was etched on her features and every day she drooped a little bit more, like a plant denied the sun. They needed to get out of these thrice cursed dungeons and soon before she faded away entirely. Everything was resting on her too thin shoulders and he hated it. He was supposed to protect and care for her and the best he could do was watch her sleep and promise to wake her much too soon. He hated it. At least she slept deeply, seemingly untroubled by nightmares.

Time passed slowly, only marked by the steady rise and fall of her breathing. He held her hand, hating how cold she was and trying to will his heat over to her. While she slept, he pictured all the different styles of braids that he'd like to teach Bella, their meanings and what styles he would do just because he wanted to see how they looked on her. Nothing overly grand, but pretty and understated, she needed a simple elegance to showcase her true beauty.

All too soon, he had to wake her, knowing that guards would be doing their rounds shortly. Reaching through the bars, he carefully shook her shoulder and called her name, trying not to startle her. But she shot into a sitting position, fumbling for her tiny sword. His heart breaking slightly, he kept his voice low and soothing, "Bella, it's all right, it's just me. But the elves will be making their rounds again soon, so you need to wake up." The last few words were laced with regret.

Releasing the handle of her sword, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Focusing on him, she gave him a tired smile. "It's all right, dear heart. That's more sleep than I've been able to get."

She yawned and climbed slowly to her feet, looking deep in thought. He stood as well, not wanting her to go but knowing that it was not safe for her to linger. She motioned for him to join her at the bars and he did so, wondering what she was up to. He was not expecting what she did do. She stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss on his cheek, telling him quietly, "I'm going to go check on something. I'll try to come back sometime tonight, but if I don't make it back until tomorrow, don't worry."

He stood frozen until she started to move away and his hand shot out and caught hers, wanting to beg her to stay. However, he couldn't risk her being caught. Worry coursing through him, he lifted her dainty hand and pressed a kiss on the back of it. Keeping all the things that he wanted to say inside, he simply murmured, "Be careful, Bella."

She just gave him another small smile before slipping on the ring and heading silently down the hall.

Although he didn't know how he knew she was gone, he could tell when she left. It was like the warmth that she had brought slowly drained away. He made his way over to the cot and laid down, ignoring the pair of guards that passed by a couple of minutes later. At least he had timed it right and they hadn't caught Bella.

Making himself more comfortable on the cot, he couldn't help the dreamy smile that crept on his face. He ran his fingers gently over his cheek, still able to feel the ghost of her touch. How he wished that there hadn't been the bars between them. He would've drawn her into his arms and claimed her lips the way that he truly longed to, unable to hold back any longer. Closing his eyes, he imagined it.

He would've pulled her into his arms and leaned in. However, he wouldn't have headed straight for her mouth, oh no. He would've started by brushing his lips over her eyelids, eyelids that covered eyes that put the brightest emeralds to shame. He would've lingered there, brushing them back and forth over the delicate skin. However, he wouldn't linger long, drawn on. He would then trace his lips down her nose, the pert nose that would crinkle adorably when she was trying not to laugh at whatever antics he and Kili would get up to. He would take the time to drop a few tiny kisses on the tip of it. She would probably giggle and crinkle her nose, protesting that it tickled.

At this point, she would probably try to capture his lips with hers, his impatient one. But he wouldn't be done yet, wanting to draw this out. He would then follow the line of her cheekbone, inhaling the scent that was uniquely hers, the scent of sunlight and growing things. He would follow it all the way to her temple where he would kiss it, just letting his lips rest there. She would grumble a complaint, but it would be so soft that he wouldn't be able to make out any words. This would cause him to chuckle and then he would repeat it with the other cheek.

He would be tempted to nibble on her ears, but he had overheard her and Ori discussing physical differences between hobbits and dwarves. One of the things that she had mentioned was that hobbit ears were very sensitive and no one other than a spouse was allowed to touch them. So as much as he'd like to follow the gentle curve and nip on the pointed tip, he would behave himself.

Trailing kisses back down her face, he would kiss first one corner of her mouth, then the other. Tiny lingering kisses that were meant to drive her crazy but would only succeed in heating his own blood. And then, finally, he would cave and claim her lips with his own. It would start with just a gentle press of his lips to hers. She would stiffen slightly but he would nibble at them, coaxing her to relax and play with him. She would gradually soften, sliding her hands up to rest lightly on his shoulders. Growing impatient, he would nip her lip, causing her to gasp and open her mouth to his.

He would deepen the kiss and she would melt into him, sliding her hands into his hair and grasping it tightly.

Letting the image fade, he sighed and opened his eyes. After that, his cell seemed lonelier and colder than it did before. Clenching his fists, he prayed that she found a way for them out of the dungeon soon. He was beginning to believe that he would lose his mind if he didn't get to hold her in his arms soon. Especially after the peck she gave him earlier.

He felt his lips lifting in a grin. His fiery lass was going to led him on a merry chase, that was for sure. He'd never looked forward to anything more.


	3. Thunder Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the stomach flu, so you got a chapter today. Enjoy

Fili jumped and hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of himself but at least he was alive. He'd been so sure that he was about to die. Fighting to draw a deep breath, he was rolling to his feet when he heard Bofur call out, "Where's Bella? Where is she?"

He whipped his head around, scanning the ledge desperately for the tiny lass. It was Bofur and Ori that spotted her dangling off the side of the cliff, but there were too many dwarves between Fili and Bella for him to reach her in time. He could barely see the top of her head from his position and then she disappeared from sight and a short feminine scream rang out.

Before he could start shoving dwarves out of the way, Thorin jumped over the edge and managed to boost her enough for her to be pulled to safety. However, his sigh of relief was converted into a strangled gasp as his uncle's grip slipped. Thank Mahal that Dwalin managed to snag him in time. Adrenaline pounding through him, Fili seized Dwalin's pack and added his strength to the guard's.

Once Thorin was firmly back on the ledge, they all just sat and stared at each other, breathing hard. It was nearly impossible to believe that they had all somehow managed to survive. There was a loud crack of lightning and Fili was abruptly reminded that things weren't over quite yet. Dwalin was the first to his feet, helping Thorin up. Fili heard the relief in his voice as he said, "I thought we'd lost our burglar."

Fili looked at the tiny lass huddled against the wall, her face bone white and was about to say something to ease her when his uncle beat him to his. His expression livid, Thorin said quietly, his voice harsh, "She's been lost, ever since she left home. She should've never have come. She has no place amongst us." He moved off, calling for Dwalin.

Dwalin's fist clenched and it looked like he was about to say something, Fili knew that the tattooed dwarf was a protector through and through, but she shook her head slightly, her eyes large and pleading. Dwalin scowled, but Fili was unable to see if he'd agreed to let it go or not because Kili was there, checking him over frantically. Fili carefully did the same for Kili, so relieved to see his little brother alive and unharmed. That had been way too close of a call and it had been a miracle that they had all escaped unhurt.

All around them, the other families were doing the same, relief so thick in the air that he could practically touch it. Once he was satisfied that Kili was unharmed, just shaken up, he turned his attention to the rest of the company. The dwarves were all ok, happiness and relief clear on their faces while they carefully checked over their kin. But the hobbit lass was still sitting huddled against the wall, staring at her shaking hands.

Nodding towards her so Kili would know what was going on, Fili made his way over and carefully knelt in front of her, watching as she balled her hands into fists trying to get the shaking to stop. He could've told her that it wouldn't help, but decided against it. She looked up, her eyes going wide and slightly fearful at seeing him there. Cursing his uncle's harsh words, although he knew that it was fear more than anything that had prompted it, Fili kept his expression pleasant, "Are you all right?" He could feel Kili hovering behind him.

To his amazement, she smiled shakily at him, "I think so, though I don't know if my knees would agree or not. They seem to have lost all their starch in the past few minutes."

Grinning at the resilient lass and no longer worried about a bout of hysterics from her, for the moment at least, he offered, "Let's see if I can help with that."

Climbing to his feet, he offered her his hands. She hesitated for a split second before sliding her hands into his and allowing him to lift her easily to her feet. She started to sway and he quickly moved his hands to her waist, allowing her to grab his forearms to brace herself. She blushed slightly but seemed to appreciate the support while her legs decided if they wanted to work or not. He could carry her if necessary, but it would be less dangerous if she were able to walk, given the treacherousness of the mountain path.

She looked up at him and he was relieved to see that the fear was gone from her gaze. She spoke so softly that he almost missed it, "Are you ok?"

He had to laugh at that, admitting, "I've had worse sessions training with Dwalin, I'm just fine."

She nodded, testing her legs and seeming to decide that they would support her. She let go of his arms and he reluctantly let her go, his hands ready to catch her if her legs should not support her, but to his surprise and relief (and maybe a little bit of disappointment), they held her just fine. She smiled at him and moved away and it was all he could do not to call her back.

He didn't have time to process the emotions rioting through him as that was the moment that Thorin and Dwalin returned. Thorin's mood had not improved and he barked at him and Kili to go scout a cave they had found. Pushing everything aside except finding a safe place to rest for the company, he took of with alacrity. After they were safe and dry, then he could process everything that had happened that day.

* * *

Thankfully the cave was empty and the company was huddled in it in short order. Fili moved his bedroll to the very back of the cave, wanting to have some privacy to think as well as to defend from any unexpected attacks that might come from the rear of the cave. He nearly sighed when Kili followed him and set up his bedroll next to his, but he really should've expected it after the disaster of early. After a fright, Kili was always more hesitant to let his loved ones out of sight. Be he knew that Fili needed to think things over and process them, so at least he would be quiet, and truthfully it was good to have him close as well. He could've so easily lost him today.

He was about to plop down on his bedroll when movement in the corner of his eye and he turned his head to see Bella making her way over to Oin. He frowned when he saw her say something quietly to Gloin who signed something to Oin. He hadn't noticed any injuries earlier, but when Gloin shifted to block the view of the healer and the hobbit, that indicated that something was up.

Glancing over at where she had dropped her pack, he decided to go ahead and set out her bedroll for her. After the long day, especially if she was hurt, she'd probably want to turn in as soon as possible. He quickly did it and returned to his corner, ignoring his brother's curious look. It was none of Kili's business and he didn't owe him an explanation.

Sitting, he took three deep breaths to center himself before delving into everything that had happened. He remembered the awe that he'd felt at learning that stone giants were real after all, followed by the swift fear for his kin and his relief at them being safe. It had been an exciting, heart pounding little adventure, one that he would've been discussing animatedly with his nadad, except for one little thing that changed everything. The hobbit lass.

He glanced over but she was still with Oin, so he set himself to the task of picking apart his tangled emotions. It was a mess, so he decided to start at the beginning. First, there was the bolt of sheer terror that had shot through him when Bofur had demanded where she was. The helplessness of not being able to reach her followed immediately by relief when his uncle had pulled her to safety only to shift right back into fear as he almost lost his uncle. He glanced over at Thorin, just to reassure himself that his uncle was still there and safe.

Staring at his uncle, Thorin's harsh words to the poor traumatized lass ran through his head and he felt his anger heating up and quickly looked away. He shouldn't have been so harsh on her, her hurt at his words clearly evident. It had been all he could do to bite back the angry words that sprang to his tongue. He'd been grateful to Kili for giving him a distraction, allowing him to get his unruly mouth under control.

That was good because when he turned and saw her crumpled looking so scared against the wall, his heart ached and he was moving before he even fully thought it through. And then she had smiled at him, actually smiled! He was amazed at her resilience and the strength of her heart, that even after being through a traumatic experience, she could still somehow manage to smile. He could actually feel his heart warm and he hadn't been able to stop his grin. Then her bravery in taking his hands, that had boggled his mind.

Not to mention all of the physical sensations that were overwhelming him at the moment. Her hands felt like ice and were so soft compared to his weapon calloused hands. She started to sway and he quickly moved his hands to her waist, making sure to keep his hands in acceptable areas, he did not want to lose his beard for supposed improprieties. Her waist was small underneath his hands, something that he hadn't realized, her figure mostly concealed by her traveling clothes. She rested her hands on his forearms, leaning on him for support, but her weight was so slight that it almost felt like a butterflies touch. He was fascinated by the hint of color that graced her cheeks and wondered what had caused it, as well as relieved that she wasn't as pale as she had been. And when she had asked if he was ok, her concern for him had warmed him even as it amused him. Dwarves were built to endure, after all, and it would take more than a small tumble to truly injure him.

But she was strong, this hobbit lass, and wouldn't allow herself to lean on others for too long. When she pulled back, reluctance washed through him together with worry that she would collapse. When she managed to stay standing, he felt a brief flicker of disappointment before swiftly pushing it away. It was better that they were all up and mobile. But he couldn't deny that the shy smile she'd given him before moving away had made his heart sped up slightly and his tongue tangle on the impulse to call her back or go join her. It was a good thing that Thorin had reappeared before he had given into impulsiveness and done something without thinking it through fully. It would've been the wrong time and place.

Glancing back over, he saw that while he'd been absorbed in his thoughts, she had finished with Oin and was back sitting on her bedroll. Wanting to see if he still felt the same pull now that the situation was over and adrenaline had calmed, he pulled out some cram and made his way over to her side. Crouching next to her bedroll, he held out the cram apologetically, "I know it's not much, but uncle said no fire tonight."

She smiled at him and his heart gave a small leap before settling again. "This is fine. And after the excitement of a little bit ago, I'd rather not have a fire and make anything curious to come and see who's in this   
cave."

He glanced at her hands when she took the cram, frowning inwardly, "Are you hurt? I thought that you said you were ok."

She nibbled wearily at the cram, exhaustion clear on her face, and he wished that there was something more that he could do for her. Her voice was soft as she replied, "Scrapes and tiny cuts, a couple of small bruises, nothing serious. But I promised Thorin that I would tell Oin if I was injured, so there we are."

He couldn't help his scowl, "I wanted to apologize, he shouldn't have said that to you, earlier. He didn't really mean it."

His growing anger was abruptly doused when she smiled and said, "There's no need to apologize."

He was totally baffled by her words. Surely she didn't mean what he thought she was saying? He kept his voice low so as to not disturb the others, "What do you mean? The things that he said were totally uncalled for."

He was even more puzzled when she nodded, her expression peaceful. "Yes, and I won't deny that they cut a bit. But when he thought that we had been smashed, I heard his roar of agony. And he made have said those things, but notice that it was after he voluntarily jumped off a cliff to help save me. He was scared that he'd lost you and frustrated about being unable to defend his people from a threat and he lashed out. Does that make it right? No. But I understand and I don't hold it against him and neither should you."

He couldn't refute her words so he grumbled quietly, his heart softening and his anger dying at her easy forgiveness. She was special, this hobbit that had left her home behind to help them reclaim theirs. He watched her as she finished the last of the small portion of cram before dusting off her fingers, fatigue lining her face. She told him firmly, "Now, go get some sleep. I'm sure that you'll probably have a watch to   
take as well. I'm so tired that I probably won't move until morning."

Amused by her bossiness, he offered her a small smile before standing and heading to his bedroll. However, he had only made it a couple of feet when she quietly called his name. Stopping, he turned back and faced her, his voice just as quiet, "Yes?"

She smiled softly at him, her eyes already drooping, "Thank you for the cram and setting up my bedroll for me."

Feeling his heart melt entirely and not trusting himself to speak, he simply nodded and made his way to his bedroll, plopping down carelessly.

Kili's eyes were shining with curiosity and the tension in him from earlier gone, so he murmured quietly, "What was that all about, nadad?"

Fili looked at him, wide eyed, "I've decided, I'm going to court her."

Kili gawked at him, but Fili ignored him, stretching out on his bedroll and lacing his hands behind his head. With what was undoubtedly a silly grin on his face, Fili closed his eyes. He had plans to make to help him woo a hobbit lass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't Fili just so precious?

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Fili is much too hard on himself. And he likes Bella, he just hasn't realized it yet ;)


End file.
